1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a driving apparatus and a driving method therefor.
2. Related Art
JP-A-2011-115248 discloses a wearable motion assist apparatus that assists finger motions worn on a hand by bending and stretching finger joints.
Further, regarding the technology of wiring to a joint mechanism, for example, JP-A-2009-125887 discloses that, to reduce load when a finger member of a robot hand is driven, two or more bending points are provided to a wire connected to the finger member for sagging of the wire.
However, the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2011-115248 is adapted on the assumption of assistance for index finger motions, but thumb motions are not considered. Accordingly, a technology that enables favorable assistance of thumb motions is required. This task is not only for humans but also common to the cases of assisting motions of the joints of living bodies including animals and joints of non-living bodies including robots.
Further, in the joint mechanism disclosed in JP-A-2009-125887, there are various kinds of wiring in the joint mechanism. For example, when a flat wiring member is wired in the joint mechanism, the degree of freedom of motion of the joint mechanism may be restricted depending on its layout. This is because the flat wiring member is harder to be bent in a direction in parallel to its surface. Therefore, a technology that can suppress restriction of the motions of the joint mechanism when the flat wiring member is wired to the joint mechanism is required. This task is not only for the joint parts of the robot but also common to an apparatus of assisting motions of joints of living bodies including humans and animals and various joint mechanisms capable of bending motions.